Friday, December 30, 2011

What can I say...I love books. This year I bought myself a Kindle, but that doesn't mean that I no longer buy used books or get books from the public library...I do. I try to keep track of what I've read on the site Goodreads.com. So far I've listed 544 books that I've read - not all this year tho. When I say I've read all of that author's books, that means I'm anxiously awaiting their next one. Also, I tend to read mostly mysteries.

Tuesday, December 20, 2011

We've been in our home for over 15 years and I finally got curtains put up in our family room. No, the single window in the room wasn't totally bare all those years as blinds and a valance with my favorite Waverly fabric (that's followed me from house to house) provided privacy. On a routine stop at Denver Fabrics, I found the perfect material for my curtains - a red check with a delicate green border. Loved it so much that I bought what was left on the roll - about 9 yards. Who know, there may be a chair slipcover in the future.

These were the easiest curtains to make - just used fusible webbing tape and my iron. So much faster and better than lugging the sewing machine out of the fabric cabinet. And no stray threads to pick up!

To make it even easier, I left the selvage edge so there wasn't any hemming on the sides. I like the rustic look the edge gives.

Cozy is how I'd describe the room now...just love my new curtains paired with my grandfather's old rocker and my basket of pillows.

Saturday, December 17, 2011

Pickity Place, located near Mason, NH. Lunch there features delectable food make with fresh herbs from the herb garden. My daughter, Jen, and I have lunched there several times.

On the property is Grandmother's Cottage, a red Cape Cod cottage that was featured in the 1948 Golden Books edition of Little Red Riding Hood by Elizabeth Orton Jones. Grandmother's bedroom is full of Little Red Riding Hood memorabilia. The grounds of Pickity Place are a photographer's dream - full of building, nooks and crannies, and of course the herb garden itself.

Just thinking of the great food served there makes me hungry. On Amazon I found a cookbook Country Herb Cooking: Four Seasons of Recipes from Pickity Place by Judy Walter that I promptly ordered. Can't wait for it to get here. Here are samples of what's served.

If you're in the New England area, think about visiting this jewel of a place. I'm not connected to Pickity Place in any way, just wanted to share one of my favorite places.

Monday, December 12, 2011

This old breakfront has been in my family for some time. My mother loved to go to farm auctions - back then, auctions were usually held when a family died off as opposed to these days when foreclosure is usually the reason. (I digress, as usual)

Anyway, Mother bought this old piece and lugged it home, much to my Dad's dismay. She and I applied a fake golden oak grain finish to the thing probably 50 years ago. It was in her house until she died nearly 20 years ago when I moved it to Colorado. Its finish wasn't a bad match for oak, but over the years my house filled up with wood finishes and I wanted COLOR. Just like those in some gorgeous material I found a few years ago and made into drapes.

Enter my passion for Annie Sloan Chalk Paint. I figured painting the breakfront's inside with Cream and the outside with Versailles over Primer Red would be perfect. Well, the inside looked great but the Versailles just wasn't quite right. Next I put Chateau Grey over the front and finished with a mixture of clear and dark wax. Voila - just what I wanted.

Now some of my favorite things reside inside. I love it!

Almost forgot...this label was on the breakfront's back. Anyone have any information about the company?

Sunday, December 11, 2011

Nate Berkus has a design personality quiz on his website here. There were no surprises for me...I'm Vintage!

"You like decor that's one of a kind. You're a garage and thrift sale shopper who likes things with some age and you know you’re a vintage personality, you can shop in places with items that have an aged look to create rooms that feel assembled over time. You don’t go to the new modern stores and waste your time buying items that you know you’re not going to love!"

About Me

Wife, mother, and grandmother of six, ardent reader of books and decorating magazines, amateur photographer, pet lover with three dogs and one cat, flower and vegetable gardener, old folkie from the 60's...all can be used to describe me. I'm retired and now have the time to follow my dreams.
I support those who work to ban puppy mills. Chick flicks, westerns, and who-done-it movies are my favorites. Books are stacked all over my house just waiting to be read. Give me folk, country, or 60's rock music and I'm happy.